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Living a Life of Worship

November 6, 2008 in Worship with 1 Comment

Earlier today I was checking some blogs and came upon this quote about living a life of worship on Vicky Beeching's blog (http://vickybeeching.com/)

Living a life of worship is NOT primarily about singing! We sing as the
overflow of our actions, and we sing to draw near to God to fill us up.
But only so that He can SEND US OUT! Sung worship is the commissioning
BEFORE action, and the celebration AFTER action. Its not, on Earth,
supposed to be purely an end in itself.

I like that…


Living a Life of Worship

October 23, 2008 in Worship with 0 Comments

Over the last few weeks I have
been challenged by the thought of living a life of worship. If I am running
toward God, pursuing Him and trying to live as He desires then that is true
worship.  What happens on Sunday mornings
is just a reflection of daily worship. 
Worship is not something we can conjure up on Sundays. I am afraid that
is what many people do; go through the actions of worship, the outward
expressions when we gather as a congregation. If worship were the actions, only
the outward expression then it is something that could be regulated even
outlawed. A.W. Tozer wrote: “If true religion consisted in outward practices,
then it could be destroyed by laws forbidding those practices. But if the true
worshiper is one who worships God in spirit and in truth, how can laws or jails
or abuses or deprivations prevent the spiritual man from worshiping?  The essence of spiritual worship is to love
supremely, to trust confidently, to pray without ceasing and to seek to be
Christlike and holy and to do all the good we can for Christ’s sake.”…everyday,
all day.  God, help me to be a true worshiper.  One who worships in Spirit
and in Truth and one who never just goes to worship but lives worship…lives a
life that is honoring to God…everyday, all day.


Who Sings In the Choir?

September 13, 2008 in Music, Worship, Worship Choirs with 4 Comments

Just recently I was reminded of how I should communicate more often concerning who should be an active member of the worship choir at ClearView. So here goes.

The only requirements to be a member of the worship choir is a love for singing and a desire to worship God, who He is and what He has done through His Son. I know that might seem simple but that is it. Notice there are no auditions required, just
a desire to worship and love for singing.

For all the years that I have been leading choirs I have had many people who love to sing say they could not be a part of the worship choir because their assumption is that all participants in the choir read music and are all soloists. The reality is that they are people who love God and are willing to give the talent they have back to Him through participating in the ministry of the worship choir.

In the New Testament we find the story of where a large crowd of people were fed with an amazing amount of food that started out as just a small portion. One of the accounts of this story states that the beginning portions of food were that of a lunch of a boy. The boy was willing to offer what he had and then Jesus took it, gave thanks for it and multiplied that gift.

For those who participate in the choir I believe they are giving to the Lord through their hours of preparation and their ministry what they have, a love for singing and their love of God that is expressed through worship. God then takes that offering and multiplies it for His glory.

Do you have a love for singing and a heart for God that you love to express through worship? If so you might want to say yes when your church is looking for worship choir members.


Trumpets and Singers

September 4, 2008 in Music, Worship, Worship Choirs with 0 Comments

One of my favorite scripture
passages comes from the book of II Chronicles 5:13-14

“The trumpets and singers
performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the LORD. Accompanied
by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and
praised the LORD with these words: 

“He
is good! His faithful love endures forever!”

Temple. At that moment a thick cloud
filled the
of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because the glorious
presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God.”

 

There are a few reasons that
this scripture has become one of my favorites. 

  • I am a trumpet player, (or at least used to be) and I
    love the mention of trumpets in scripture.
  • All the years I have been serving as a worship
    minister I have been a big proponent of involving many people and
    instrumentation in the leading of worship. (In the verses just before the
    one I printed, you find an accounting of all the instruments and there is
    even mention that there were 120 trumpets.)
  • At the end of this passage the statement “the priests
    could not continue…” is seen and it implies that the people were
    overwhelmed as they recognized God’s presence. 

 

The reality is that the
‘glorious presence of the LORD’ is present in all of our services.  We are the ones who limit our recognition of
His presence or do not engage with Him in the conversation of worship.  I believe it is the worship leaders’
responsibility (singers – instrumentalists – tech personnel – pastor) to help
all those who enter the worship room on a Sunday to recognize the presence of
the LORD.

 

Sunday is just three days away
and I am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet God in the conversation
of worship with like-minded people and in so doing being a witness of God’s presence
to those who may be in the room who do not have a personal relationship with
Him.

 

And…we will have trumpets this
week (4 not 120) and other orchestral and band instruments and a multitude of
voices…

 

God help us to recognize Your
presence at ClearView this Sunday.


Worship everyday

August 23, 2008 in Preparing for Worship, Worship with 1 Comment

I am continually reminded that worship on Sunday is not what God wants as our worship. 

For over thirty years I have been planning those events we call worship services. It is a joy to stand on a platform each week and see people of God call out to Him in praise, adoration, thanksgiving and petition. But that event on Sunday’s should only be a reflection of our daily lives. 

I wonder what God really thinks of our Sunday worship.  I know I have been guilty in the past of neglecting God during the week and then enjoying the Sunday worship experience.  In Amos chapter 5 verses 23-24 we find these words:

Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will
not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a
mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.

I want to spend each day aware of God’s presence. When that happens the gathering on Sunday we call worship becomes even more special.  A.W. Tozer spoke about this same thought in his book What Ever Happened To Worship?

God’s highest desire is that every one of His believing children should
so love and so adore Him that we are continuously in His presence, in Spirit
and truth.  That is to worship
indeed.  True worship of God must be a
constant and consistent attitude or state of mind within the believer.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I will enjoy coming together with those of like mind who want to draw closer to God, speak to Him and listen to
what He has to say through the songs and the spoken word.  But I have also enjoyed Him today because I was aware of His presence. How can you not enjoy Him when you realize He is with you.


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